[sql] varbinary to string on SQL Server

How to convert a column value from varbinary(max) to varchar in human-readable form?

For a VARBINARY(MAX) column, I had to use NVARCHAR(MAX):

cast(Content as nvarchar(max))

Or

CONVERT(NVARCHAR(MAX), Content, 0)
VARCHAR(MAX) didn't show the entire value

I tried this, it worked for me:

declare @b2 VARBINARY(MAX) 
set @b2 = 0x54006800690073002000690073002000610020007400650073007400
SELECT CONVERT(nVARCHAR(1000), @b2, 0);

The following expression worked for me:

SELECT CONVERT(VARCHAR(1000), varbinary_value, 2);

Here are more details on the choice of style (the third parameter).

Try this

SELECT CONVERT(varchar(5000), yourvarbincolumn, 0)

Have a go at the below as I was struggling to

bcp "SELECT CAST(BINARYCOL AS VARCHAR(MAX)) FROM OLTP_TABLE WHERE ID=123123 AND COMPANYID=123" 
queryout "C:\Users\USER\Documents\ps_scripts\res.txt" -c -S myserver.db.com  -U admin -P password

Reference: original post

Actually the best answer is

SELECT CONVERT(VARCHAR(1000), varbinary_value, 1);

using "2" cuts off the "0x" at the start of the varbinary.